


The Things You Can Tell About A Man By His Handshake

by wildwordwomyn



Category: Kane (Band)
Genre: First Kiss, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-17
Updated: 2008-01-17
Packaged: 2017-10-09 13:39:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildwordwomyn/pseuds/wildwordwomyn





	The Things You Can Tell About A Man By His Handshake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prncssflutterby](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=prncssflutterby).



It starts with a handshake oddly enough. A simple handshake to show respect. And Chris was raised to always be respectful. But Steve Carlson’s handshake doesn’t feel like a proper greeting the way other men’s do. Steve’s hand holds his for just a second longer than appropriate, though no one else in the café notices but him. Steve isn’t paying any attention, aiming his bright Californian smile at one of the baristas walking their way. When Chris tries to discreetly pull his hand back Steve turns to face him and smiles.

“Sorry, man. Guess I didn’t want to let go,” he says.

Chris automatically thinks, _This ones’s a charmer_, and it makes him nervous. Steve’s charm, Chris sees during their first meeting, extends to men as well and women, to children and old people. It’s as natural as his laid-back nature. He dislikes him on principal. Even when they see more and more of each other as their social lives begin to overlap Chris still harbors unease around the man. He wishes there was more to it than that, wishes Steve was a mean bastard or lazy or something, but the truth is he’s a good guy to everyone. 

“I’m bored,” Steve says as soon as Chris answers his ringing phone. “Wanna come over, play awhile? We can write a song or something…”

They’ve become friends over the past six months through not fault of Chris’s. He’s tried to stay away from the man but he finds himself drawn to him. Now here he is, listening to his voice over the phone, and all he wants is to be near him. To explore what that ‘or something’ could possibly mean. Not that Steve’s ever shown anything other than a platonic interest in him. He isn’t even straight. And Chris is, except for when he’s around Steve.

“Give me twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes turn into an hour as Chris goes through shirt after shirt, jeans after jeans, to find the perfect ‘IF-you-want-me-I’m-available’ outfit. When he shows up on Steve’s doorstep he’s breathing hard and a little too excited. He takes a deep breath and smoothes out a few wrinkles from his light blue flannel shirt before knocking. Steve opens up the door before the second knock lands, already smiling. He ushers Chris in and sits him down in a perfectly well-worn soft leather brown recliner. Without asking he places a just-opened Killian’s bottle in his left hand and takes the guitar case from his other. He grins at Chris and winks.

“Got an idea. Tell me what you think.” He sits down on the couch opposite and picks up his own guitar. Chris pretends the wink, and the melody that follows, does nothing to his nether regions. After Steve stops he looks at Chris eagerly. “.....Well.....?” he asks.

“It’s...it’s.....It’s good.” It’s more than good, but Chris doesn’t feel comfortable saying anything else. Fortunately, or unfortunately for Chris, Steve won’t take anything other than the truth, especially about his music.

“Good?” His eyes search Chris’s. “You can be honest. Don’t hold back.” When Steve blinks Chris lets go of the breath he isn’t aware he’s holding.

“...It’s beautiful,” he tells him finally. “Really. 

Steve grins like a madman. “This is why I respect your opinion so much, Chris. You have a talent for stroking my ego-.”

“Can you please never use that word again?” he blurts.

“What? Talent? Ego?”

Chris stays silent a second, wondering if he will ever learn to keep his mouth shut. He chugs the last of his lager before speaking again. “Stroke.” He blushes embarrassingly. “Or any variation of it...Never did like that word too much. It’s like the word moist. It just doesn’t sound right.” 

At first Steve just looks at Chris, confused like he’s trying to figure Chris out. Then laughter erupts from him. Chris doesn’t want to but he ends up laughing with him. Several minutes pass as they catch their breaths only to look at each other and start the process all over again. Just as suddenly Steve stands, comes close and kisses him lightly, quickly, on the mouth. When he pulls back Chris blinks hard, his mouth parted in a gasp. Steve kisses him again, then again until there is nothing else but the kissing. Until all Chris knows is Steve’s hand as it combs through his hair to tenderly cup his nape...


End file.
